Lace up, leash up, and run the WakeMed Soccer Park trails with your four-legged running buddy.
Pups & Pastries is a race you can run with your dog. Sign up for the Doggie Dash 5K or Doggie Dash 6.5 Mile and bring your pup, or run the regular 5K, 6.5 Mile, or Fun Mile on your own. It's all on the cross-country trails at WakeMed Soccer Park, and 5K and 6.5 Mile finishers go home with a race shirt and a finisher medal.
Mutts & Marshmallows did so much for abandoned dogs that we wanted a second dog-friendly race, and this is it. Pups & Pastries supports Second Chance Pet Adoptions, and every Doggie Dash dog fee goes to support their work.
7:00 to 8:15 AM: Doggie Dash 5K and 6.5 Mile check-in
7:00 to 9:15 AM: Race-day registration
8:30 AM: Doggie Dash 5K and 6.5 Mile start
8:30 to 9:15 AM: Regular 5K, 6.5 Mile, and Fun Mile check-in
9:15 AM: Fun Mile starts
9:30 AM: Regular 5K and 6.5 Mile start
10:00 AM: Doggie Dash course closes
11:00 AM: Regular course closes
Everything happens at the WakeMed Soccer Park cross-country course. Dogs run only in the Doggie Dash, so the Fun Mile and the regular 5K and 6.5 Mile are dog-free. Times can shift for weather or safety, and the email we send the week before has the final word.
This schedule is from the 2026 race and is shown for illustration only. Details for the 2027 race are coming soon.
Park in the big lot by the cross-country course
WakeMed Soccer Park, 201 Soccer Park Dr., Cary, NC 27511. There's plenty of parking. Please watch for people on foot and let them go first as you drive through the lot.
Leave non-racing dogs at home
Only dogs registered for the Doggie Dash are allowed in the event area. Spectators' dogs have to sit this one out.
Pups & Pastries runs on the WakeMed Soccer Park cross-country course, a mix of dirt, grass, and natural trail. How it feels underfoot depends on the weather in the days before the race.
Water on the course, near the finish, and at the registration and refreshment area
Athletic trainer at the medical tent near the finish
Chip timing for everyone, with live results a few minutes after you finish
The course isn't USATF certified, and please bear in mind that GPS tracking apps are not suitable for measuring course distances accurately. The Doggie Dash and the regular races start separately, but they share one set of results and awards.
A Pups & Pastries shirt and finisher medal
For every 5K and 6.5 Mile runner (Doggie Dash too), in person or virtual. Fun Mile runners get a finisher medal. Guaranteed for early sign-ups, then while supplies last. Extra shirts, medals, and dog collar "medals" are sold separately.
Over $4,000 in potential awards
Top 3 men and women overall and top 3 in every age group in the 5K, the 6.5 Mile, and the Fun Mile. The 5K and 6.5 Mile also have Picking Up the Pace awards for runners who beat their pace from one of our last two races, and a $10 gift code for any new course record.
Fit & Able Free-for-All Series points
Earn points toward end-of-year prizes with your finish place, a donation, or by bringing a volunteer to help at the race.
Referral and team rewards
Bring friends along or build a team, and you can earn back the early bird price, plus Fit & Able credit. Details are on RunSignUp.
Sign up for the virtual race if you already know you can’t be there on race day. Or, if you’re registered for the in-person race and your plans change, email info@fitandable.net at least 48 hours before the race and we’ll switch you to virtual.
Run your 5K, 6.5 Mile, or Fun Mile anywhere you like during the virtual window, which opens at 6:00 AM a week before race day and closes at 6:00 PM on race day: around the neighborhood, on a greenway, even around the living room. Your dog can come too. Just add the Doggie Dash registration when you sign up.
Submit your time online during that window (RaceJoy can do it for you). Your shirt and medal ship to any US address the week after the race, shipping included, once your result is in. Top 3 overall and age-group finishers win Fit & Able gift codes.
Set a new one and win a $10 gift code.
5K Male: R. Lichtenwalner, 18:52 (2021)
5K Female: S. Warwick, 20:05 (2022)
6.5 Mile Male: V. Hua, 37:24 (2026)
6.5 Mile Female: M. Cornwell, 49:04 (2024)
Second Chance Pet Adoptions is the oldest no-kill animal rescue in the Research Triangle area. They give healthy and treatable homeless cats and dogs a second chance at a loving home, and they make a lifetime commitment to every animal, so a returned pet is always welcome back.
Pups & Pastries supports Second Chance, and the full Doggie Dash dog fee goes to support their work.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes, in the Doggie Dash 5K or Doggie Dash 6.5 Mile. Add the Doggie Dash registration for your dog when you sign up. It's one dog per runner, and dogs stay on a leash the whole time. Dogs can't run the regular 5K, 6.5 Mile, or Fun Mile, and bikes aren't allowed on the course.
Can my kids run too?
Yes, in the regular 5K, 6.5 Mile, or Fun Mile. Kids 12 and younger can't run the Doggie Dash. Little ones 4 and under can ride along through the Kids in Strollers registration, with their own bib, a parent registered in the regular 5K, 6.5 Mile, or Fun Mile, and a proper buckle. Strollers aren't allowed in the Doggie Dash.
Can my family come and cheer, and bring our dog?
Family yes, dog no. Spectators are welcome along the course and outside the finish chute fencing, but only registered Doggie Dash dogs are allowed in the event area. Check-in and the start and finish areas are for runners only, and please leave drones at home.
When and where do I pick up my packet?
On race day only, at WakeMed Soccer Park. There's no early pickup. Bring a photo ID (a picture of it on your phone works). You can pick up a friend's packet if you have a photo of their ID. Anything not picked up on race day can't be shipped or refunded.
Can I sign up on race day?
Yes, from 7:00 to 9:15 AM. We take cash, checks, and cards.
When will results and photos be up?
Live results post a few minutes after you finish. Final results and race photos are emailed after the race. We try to get a photo of everyone but can't promise it, and RunSignUp tags photos to your bib number, so keep your bib on the front.
How do I get my award?
There's no ceremony on race day. Awards are ready the week after, to pick up at Fleet Feet Morrisville or by email. Results are final for awards at 9 AM the Monday after the race, and age groups go by your age on December 31.
What if I need extra time or an accommodation?
Every Fit & Able race is open to anyone, of any age, skill level, or ability. If you might need extra time, email info@fitandable.net. For an accommodation, please reach out at least a month before race day so we can work out what's possible.
More answers on our Event FAQ page.
Hand out water, help at check-in and cheer runners home. Every Fit & Able race runs on volunteers.
Volunteer sign-upMeet runners and families on race day, as a sponsor or with an exhibitor booth.
Sponsorship options